Executive Director, Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra
Rebecca is currently the Executive Director of the Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra (DSSO) and has held this position since July of 2011. One of her first responsibilities was to help hire the next (and current) Music Director, Dirk Meyer. Together she and the maestro led a rebranding campaign for the orchestra which has resulted in new and younger audience members joining traditional symphony audience members from the past. Her responsibilities as Executive Director include; overseeing a Professional Symphony Orchestra – the DSSO (now in its 85th season), a successful Youth Orchestra Program – the DSSYO (begun 8 years after the Symphony was established), a volunteer symphony chorus, outreach and education activities as well as union contract negotiations on behalf of the association and AFM’s Local 18.
Prior to her work with DSSO, Rebecca was the first Executive Director of “A Center for the Arts” in Fergus Falls, MN and held this position for 18 years. During her time at A Center for the Arts she worked with the Board and community to raise funds and renovate an historic Orpheum Theatre into a year round performing arts center that included theater, music, dance, film, visual arts and literary arts. To bring more attention to the visual and literary arts she also encouraged the Board to invite Artspace Projects into the community and the Kaddatz Hotel project became a successful renovation project that has become live work space for artists, an art gallery and studio space for working artists.
Rebecca also played violin in the Fargo Moorhead Symphony and served on their Board for 6 years. She played in the Fargo Moorhead Opera and served as their personnel manager for the past 4 years. She was a Board Member of Minnesota Citizens for the Arts and worked with this organization for several years on the Arts & Cultural Heritage Legacy Amendment.